Former BTEC in Engineering student, Georgia, was one of just 12 successful applicants selected from around 1,400 for an Apprenticeship with British Airways as an Aircraft Maintenance Mechanic – and she credits her Kingston College lecturers for helping her achieve this success:
Why did you choose your course and Kingston College?
I chose Kingston as my place of study because I believe they have some of the best engineering facilities available, and I had heard many wonderful stories of previous students going on to achieve desirable results. I had also seen many go on to find amazing apprenticeships, such as pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers, so my hope was that studying engineering at Kingston would give me the opportunity to do the same; needless to say, it did!
What attracted you to studying this course rather than A Levels?
I had previously studied English, Sociology and Biology A Levels at another institution, however I think my true passion lies in the STEM sector. I knew that a BTEC would open up many opportunities for me to get hands-on experience in STEM, and that many apprentice schemes value BTECs due to the practical elements they offer - I consider myself a person who learns through real world experience, which is why a BTEC was perfect for me!
After achieving a grade of DDD in a Level 3 BTEC in Engineering, I went on to gain a position as an apprentice with British Airways as an Aircraft Maintenance Mechanic. It’s a 2 year course stationed at a technical college for the first 6 months, with the remainder taking place at the BA maintenance base at Heathrow Airport. Once I finish the apprenticeship I aspire to become a fully licensed aircraft mechanic.
Any advice to future students?
I was never a student who excelled at maths and physics. I achieved very average grades for those subjects during my GCSEs, but I still believed that I could go on to study engineering. I found it tough to cope with the leap from GCSEs to a BTEC at first, but I spent time learning things at home and reading up on new things that might pertain to my lessons. Having knowledge ahead of time can definitely help with understanding concepts during your lessons. I found that the best thing is to ask if you are not sure; don’t keep it bottled up because you are too embarrassed to ask for help. The tutors are there to help, and help they will! With enough dedication, studying and confidence, I think that those who believe they aren’t capable of something have every chance of achieving great things if they put in the work.
How have your tutors supported you?
My tutors were always on hand to answer any questions I had. Whether it was a ridiculously complicated question or a ridiculously simple one, I was always provided with a solution. Tutors often organised times for me to come and visit them so that they could go through my problem in person with me, and I found that to be a very effective and personal way of clearly explaining how I can solve it. I sometimes felt a little embarrassed to ask for help, but I would think to myself: That’s what they are here for!
What skills have you developed during your time here?
During my time at Kingston, I was taught many skills. I was taught how to conduct destructive and non-destructive tests (British Airways offers an apprenticeship in non-destructive testing for anyone who particularly enjoys this!), calculus, fabrication skills, metal forming, CAD, microcontroller programming, C# programming and many more skills that are applicable to my apprenticeship. I learnt a good mixture of practical and theoretical skills that massively helped me with improving my CV and eventually gave me the confidence to apply for my apprenticeship.
